Ornate Surreal Sculptures Formed From Thousands of Ordinary Objects

Kris Kuksi Surreal Sculpture

‘Rapture'
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Plucked from ordinary life, the items used to create artist Kris Kuksi‘s surreal assemblages are transformed into high art. Since 2004, the American artist has focused on his sculptures, each tinged with a slightly Gothic, dark feel. Using railway model kits, figurines, jewelry, wedding cake parts, wood trim, resin, rocks, and other found materials, he slowly builds up each piece. The end results are fascinating, both as a whole and in detail.

Influenced by the classical world, Kuksi lovingly crafts each piece over the course of months—often years. Sometimes, his pieces have an overt nod to the past, such as his piece Nike, which incorporates a miniature of the famous Nike of Samothrace sculpture. Often, it's the small architectural components and details that build up a nostalgic, vintage feel to the work, which borders on the surreal.

“I dream in the classical worlds. I’m drawn to it, I can’t get enough of it, and I just want to bring it all together into an art form,” Kuksi tells My Modern Met. “Re-live classical ideas and subjects and remix it. Life for me in the studio is all a remix of the ancient, antique, and vintage realms into the modern edge.” Working out of a 19th-century church in Kansas, Kuksi is surrounded by the history that he incorporates into his work.

Kris Kuksi Surreal Sculpture Assemblage

‘Rapture,' detail

Now, galleries patiently wait for these contemporary assemblages. Kuksi lets go of each with difficulty—the thousands of pieces making up the unified whole represent the innumerable hours spent and decisions made to complete the sculpture. Ornate and grand, the showstopping sculptures can be viewed in detail in Kuksi's book Conquest, which contains over 200 color reproductions and details of his breathtaking work.

Kris Kuksi transforms ordinary objects into ornate, Gothic assemblages.

Kris Kuksi Sculpture

‘Sedation'

Kris Kuksi Assemblage

‘Sedation,' detail

‘The Plague Parade, Una Quarta Movimento'

Kris Kuksi Surreal Sculpture

‘Nike'

It can take weeks or months—or even years—to complete each surreal sculpture.

Kris Kuksi Surreal Sculpture

‘Tribulation'

Kris Kuksi Surreal Sculpture

‘Triumph'

Kris Kuksi Surreal Sculptural Assemblages

‘Ascension of Eos'

Kris Kuksi Assemblage

‘Der Ubermensch of the Post World Calamity Variety'

Kris Kuksi Surreal Sculpture

‘Ferdinand Von Howitzer Head'

Kris Kuksi: Website | Facebook | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by Kris Kuksi.

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Incredibly Lifelike Sculptures Built With Old Typewriter Parts

Jessica Stewart

Jessica Stewart is a Staff Editor and Digital Media Specialist for My Modern Met, as well as a curator and art historian. Since 2020, she is also one of the co-hosts of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. She earned her MA in Renaissance Studies from University College London and now lives in Rome, Italy. She cultivated expertise in street art which led to the purchase of her photographic archive by the Treccani Italian Encyclopedia in 2014. When she’s not spending time with her three dogs, she also manages the studio of a successful street artist. In 2013, she authored the book "Street Art Stories Roma" and most recently contributed to "Crossroads: A Glimpse Into the Life of Alice Pasquini." You can follow her adventures online at @romephotoblog.
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